


Of Gods, Monsters, and Dragon Wars

by Kipaia



Series: Dragon Wars and Magic Shores [1]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: (probably very poorly described I'm sorry I'm doing my best i promise), American Sign Language, Becoming Thane, College of Winterhold - Freeform, F/F, Mutual Pining, Reluctant Dovahkiin | Dragonborn, Sign Language, Thieves Guild, adopting kids, just skyrim things, mute character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-13 13:07:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28903860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kipaia/pseuds/Kipaia
Summary: A Dovahkiin born to Imperial nobility who yearns for freedom from her responsibilities, freedom she finds in the world of her distant uncle's journals recording his misspent youth amongst the Thieves Guild of Cyrodiil. Dissatisfied with the life presented to her, she flees to Skyrim to find the satisfaction her uncle had and instead finds more responsibility, this time of a kind so awesome - and awful - that she does everything within her power to hide from it.A mage with no family and no voice undertakes a dangerous journey alone through a frozen tundra to find a teacher who can help her understand the power in her veins and discovers that unleashing it brings forth something else, something new; knowledge with no source, answers to questions she never even thought to ask, and a vision of a ghost of a woman haunting her dreams. Somehow this woman is the key to the Dragon Crisis, but the longer she remains missing the harder it will be to defeat the World Eater.Can the silent seer find the hidden Dragonborn and - more importantly - convince her to begin her crusade before Alduin destroys everything?
Relationships: Female Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Dragon Wars and Magic Shores [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2119776
Kudos: 1





	Of Gods, Monsters, and Dragon Wars

Kaiana entered the city of Riften with her head bowed and her hood pulled low over her face, letting memory guide her steps through the growing puddles as a chilly fall rain dampened the lakeside city. It felt like a lifetime had passed since she'd left Whiterun; what had been an easy drizzle on a cool day had turned into nearly a week of walking in wind-chilled storms that were as unrelenting as the ache in her bones. It was with a heavy sigh of relief that she pushed through the doors to the tavern and carefully shrugged off her sopping cloak before hanging it and trudging upstairs.

Maven Black-Briar sat in the exact same chair as she had when Kai had left Riften, looking for all the world as if two weeks hadn't passed in the interim. "You're late," she said brusquely, without taking her eyes from her letter.

"That's what happens when you walk home in the year's first big storm," Kai replied easily as she dropped into the chair beside Maven and lifted her feet to the table. The snap of Maven's eyes to her mud soaked boots was the only indication of the woman's irritation; she liked to pretend as if she was in charge of the guild and all within, but they both knew the truth of the matter; Kai hadn't been a simple guild member since the Goldenglow job. If Maven was good at anything, it was recognizing a person's worth, and Kai? Kai was worth her weight in diamonds to the Black-Briars. 

So Maven simply sniffed and turned her attention back to the letter. "Your courier arrived barely before you did. I hope you didn't pay him for his speed."

"I paid him for his dry pockets," Kai said easily, leaning her chair back and pulling out a small knife that she began to trim her nails with. "Mine are deep, not waterproof. Speaking of . . . " she rustled through her pockets until she found the small box she'd tucked away and tossed it on the table. "How much do you want for yours?"

Maven set aside the letter with a barely concealed huff of irritation and picked up the box, peering inside and tossing it back to Kai. "Five thousand for the one in my possession, not a piece less."

"Three thousand, and I'll tell you where to find Frost."

Maven's eyes narrowed. "How did you know Frost is missing?"

"Same way I know you have one of these. Three, Maven, plus Frost _and_ -" she suddenly dropped her feet to the ground and leaned close to Maven's face. "I'll give _you_ the good news first."

The older woman was still for several seconds, weighing the price before nodding. "What news?"

"Olfrid Battle-Born has henceforth offered his influence to aid in our endeavors in Whiterun, whatever they may be. Drop a letter with my name and I think you'll find him far more amenable to your wishes in the future." Standing up, she leaned over Maven to tap on the letter. "And that matches Goldenglow, which means we have a trail. I'll talk with Mercer tomorrow afternoon and get started sorting that out, and I'll have my housecarl drop off the gold for your stone -" she swiped the box from Maven's hand. "- tomorrow as well."

"I'll send someone to fetch the stone tonight. And what of Frost?" Maven snapped as Kai turned to leave. 

"Don't bother," Kai grinned as she tossed the box up and caught it again with a flourish. If looks could kill she'd have burned to a crisp. "And go ask Louis Letrush!" she called over her shoulder without looking back. A grin cocked her mouth at the faint sound of Maven swearing under her breath as she trudged back downstairs and collapsed into the nearest empty chair, a quick wave to Talen-Jei assuring food was on the way before she leaned her head back and dragged both hands down her face, letting her fingers rest at her temples and massage away some of the exhaustion that weighed on her. Another dragon had made a nest down in the flats to the north, and she'd nearly been attacked barely out of Ivarstead. They were getting bold, or perhaps there were simply enough of them now that the latecomers were stuck with the more densely populated territories.

"Did you even look before you sat down?"

Kai popped one eye open and nearly laughed at the disgruntled face on her housecarl's face. "Iona. Would you believe me if I said I didn't?"

The burly woman snorted. "Not likely. You notice everything. Why are you even here? You should be home, the weather is shit and you look like you were thrown into the lake by a troll."

"But if I was home I'd miss your lovely company," Kai winked, sitting forward as Talen-Jei dropped several dishes onto the table. "Besides, I had business upstairs."

"Business or _business?_ " Iona asked with a wiggle of her eyebrows. Kai flicked a small spoonful of soup at her. "Business, you loon."

Iona sighed dramatically. "A sorry day indeed when the thane of this fine city can't find a bedmate."

"A sorry day indeed when my housecarl thinks it's her duty to get her thane a bedmate," Kai retorted. "When did it become your business what happens in my bed?"

"When you left me for a month with nothing else to do. You realize the only book you own is _The Lusty Argonian Maid_? I think I read it at least four times. For all those salacious tales of your youth you're so fond of sharing, I've never once known you to take anyone to bed since you got here." She sniffed. "It's a damn shame, is what it is."

"The only damn shame in here is you distracting me from my nice warm food," Kai said through a full mouth. The last thing she wanted to do was think about how long it had been since she hadn't spent a lonely night. When _was_ the last time? That boy in the Imperial City? No, there had been the girl at the inn in Bleaker's Way. That had been just a few nights before she'd crossed the border, barely a week before -

No. She wouldn't think of that. Not tonight. Kai grabbed Iona's mug and downed the rest of her ale.

Iona ignored her, eyes roving around the room. "What about Marcurio? He's handsome enough, and an Imperial to boot. I'm sure you could find a lot in common."

Against her will, Kai's eyes found the mage where he sat at a table across the tavern. She knew who he was, of course; Riften wasn't large enough by any means to not recognize a regular inhabitant. And he was decent to look at, if she was pressed to give an opinion. But when her mouth opened to respond to Iona, none of that was what emerged.

"What about his friend?" popped from her mouth before she could stop it, her gaze fixed on the woman sitting next to him gesticulating wildly. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but there was an energy to this woman that belied the subdued atmosphere of a shitty evening spent in a tavern, and her _eyes_. Even from across the room, Kai could make out the brilliant gold of the woman's eyes, matched perfectly to the gold lines that were painted across her face. The gold flickered in tune with the many fires dotting the room, and Kai found herself utterly entranced, too tired to bow to propriety and not simply stare at the sight.

Iona hummed. "I don't know her. She must've arrived today, because she wasn't here last night. Shall I go and invite them to join us?"

Kai shook herself free of the woman's encapsulating visage and returned her attention with gusto to her food. The guild was finally on the rise, she'd just finished a week of rough travel on the back end of several weeks of heavy work and tomorrow she returned to the Guild to start hunting their adversary in truth; there was simply too much to be done to worry about dalliances complicating matters. "No," she said gruffly. "I just want to finish this, have a hot bath, and a good night's rest. _Rest_ , mind you," she interrupted before Iona could protest. "If you're done with your food you can go get a bath drawn for me."

"But -"

Kai glared at her housecarl. "Enough, Iona. Go home."

For a moment it looked like Iona would argue more, but with a huff of indignation and a stiff bow she pushed from the table and stormed out of the inn. Kai maintained her focus on her plate until she heard the door slam behind her and then sighed heavily; Iona hated when she used her "thane" voice almost as much as she hated using it. No matter what the Nords said about the honors of being a housecarl, it always felt belittling to the woman to treat her as a mere servant. She'd have to apologize to her when she returned. _But only if she actually draws a hot bath,_ a tiny cynical part of her whispered. She growled into her food, angry at her own selfishness. So much for a simple homecoming.

She finished her food and pushed to her feet, dropping a couple of gold on the table and waving a quick goodbye to Talen-Jei. As late as it was, she could swing down into the Flagon to pick up something for Iona as an apology. For all that the entire guild had their own beds down under the city, it was rare to find anyone actually sleeping; only a fool trusted thieves. 

A hand caught her shoulder just as she reached for her soaked cloak and Kai fought the urge to turn and shove her dagger into the arm attached to that hand as she slowly turned and came face to face with Marcurio.

His face was rather pinched, giving her the feeling that he could sense how close he was to losing a finger but he held his ground nonetheless, hand falling to his side. "Kai. I'm sorry to bother you, but my friend was insistent that I give you a message." He glanced back to the woman with the golden eyes.

Kai pointedly refused to follow his gaze. "Out with it, mage."

He bristled at her tone but nonetheless pressed on. "She says to remember that the guildmaster is the greatest threat to the guild."

Kai froze, one sleeve in her cloak. "What? What is that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

Marcurio just shrugged. "If I tried to make sense of everything she told me, I'd be better off worshipping Sheogorath." And with a slight bow, he retreated.

For a moment Kai considered crossing the tavern and demanding an explanation from the woman; to the rest of the city, Mercer was just a reclusive man with too much money and a fetish for gemstones. Only to the inhabitants of the Ragged Flagon was his true status as the Guildmaster of the Thieves Guild known. And this woman?

This woman was no thief.

Kai shrugged on her cloak and shook her head as she left the inn. She was too wet, cold, and tired to deal with another of Skyrim's fun little mysteries. Dragons, civil war, never ending winter the further north you go, and an all consuming, incessant national pride that made the Imperial City seem tame was all a little much to bear without adding guild espionage to the list. Whatever was going on, she'd deal with it tomorrow.

While Iona was nowhere to be found by the time she stumbled into Honeyside (and neither was a warm bath, unfortunately) Kai had no trouble falling straight into bed and passing out for the first real sleep she'd had in days. She woke several hours later to Iona tugging off her boots and wiggling her still damp clothes off of her. "- unbelievable," her housecarl was muttering to herself. "Can't even take your boots off before falling into bed. You'd be hopeless without me, you know that right?"

"Right," Kai mumbled, letting herself be flopped under the blankets. Iona said something else, but Kai was already lost to sleep once more.

The second time she slept, she dreamed of dragons. It was the same dream that had come to haunt her since Helgen. A dragon faced her across a fog covered field, the moons in the sky the only light between them besides the fire in black dragon's eyes as he gazed at her with hatred. The sight of him filled her with rage, rage that consumed her and fed the well of power that burned in her chest. They stalked each other through the fog, her daggers meeting his claws as both their rages grew. His shouts echoed in her bone, and her answering screams pushed away the fog for brief moments where they fought viciously. She grew as her rage did, until she was eye to eye with the dark monster, and her daggers had sunk into her hands which were now claws, and her screams were now shouts that unleashed fire at her undying foe until they were both battered, neither relenting. But tonight there was something new; a woman in the fog, obscured but for her golden eyes. Her figure flitted in and out of sight, always on the edge of disappearing entirely, but whenever her gaze fixed on Kai, new energy filled her body and she returned to her battle renewed.

She woke with a start at the final impact between them, just as she had every time the nightmare had come to her. Her blankets were soaked with sweat and twisted about her in terribly constricting ways, and she was forced to spend several near-panicked moments extricating herself before collapsing back on the bed, breathing heavily as she tried to calm herself.

"Kai? You're awake?" Iona appeared in the doorway, two mugs in hand and frowning at the sight of the tousled, soaked sheets. "Another nightmare?"

Kai grunted and held out a hand, taking the mug of tea and downing it. "Why do you ask questions you already know the answer to?" Noticing Iona's frown, she grimaced. "I'm sorry. For last night, too. I shouldn't be so short with you. I know you're just trying to help."

Iona sighed. "I know you well enough by now to know you don't mean it. But you can't just keep ignoring everything that troubles you, Kaiana."

"It's worked so far."

"Has it?" Iona eyed her skeptically. "You just spent three weeks on the road probably not sleeping, you come home and immediately fall asleep for almost a day and half without even bothering to take your boots off and spend most of that sleep fighting off nightmares. Last time you were home, you were barely here for three days before taking off, and before that you were gone for a month. What happens if you collapse on the road? Are you even eating enough?" She reached out, grasping Kai's shoulder and shaking her slightly. "You're not taking care of yourself, Kai. And I can't be there to make you if you don't let me. I don't care about your work for the guild, I don't care about you leaving your family behind and you couldn't _pay_ me to care about whatever else the fucker in the keep want to try to put on you; I just care that _you_ are okay. And right now, you're as far from it as I've ever seen."

Kai's hands shook with how tightly she was gripping her mug. Iona was even more right than she knew; she hadn't done more than done on the road, didn't stop at the inns, didn't take rest and barely stopped to pick up food if she happened to cross paths with a farmer or a merchant, and even then only if she noticed she was hungry at all. But she refused to take Iona with her, refused to put her in danger out of some misplaced loyalty she felt to an empty title. "Iona, I . . ."

Iona interrupted her with another gentle squeeze of her shoulder and rose to her feet. "You don't need to do anything now; I know you've had a long couple of weeks. There's hot water downstairs, and I'll have lunch ready by the time you're done soaking."

Kai mumbled her thanks and carefully made her way downstairs, refusing to meet Iona's steady gaze. She was halfway down the stairs when something Iona had said finally registered in her weary mind. "Wait, did you say it's been a day and a half?!"

Iona chuckled from the kitchen. "Don't panic, I've taken care of everything. Maven wasn't too pleased at the wait, but I refused to hand over the gold she said you owed her until I could verify with you, and Bryn came by yesterday saying Sapphire had spotted you at the inn but I sent him off. Marcurio and his friend stopped by too, but I'm not entirely sure what they wanted."

Kai simply grunted and slid into the blessedly hot water. "Maven gets a purse of three thousand," she called as she vigorously scrubbed herself clean from weeks of grime. "And I'm heading to the guild as soon as I'm dressed. I was supposed to meet with Mercer yesterday."

"Armor?"

"No, not planning on anything strenuous today. Just planning."

"Do you want to look intimidating, or do you want to blend in?"

She considered for a moment. _The guildmaster is the greatest threat to the guild._ "Intimidating. Let's remind Mercer I'm not one of his lackeys."

Iona's footfalls marched back and forth across the house above her before she descended the stairs in a clatter, several items of clothing draped over one arm and a tray of food in her hands that she settled on the small table beside the tub. "You know, I wasn't convinced that putting a casket in here for bathing was a good idea, but you were right. It takes hardly any effort at all to pulley in water from the lake from that hole you poked and those runes you swiped from Bryn are doing their job nicely."

"I didn't swipe them, I borrowed them. With permission and everything."

"And when will you return them?" 

" . . . At my own discretion."

Iona snorted a laugh. "Some things never change."

Kai lifted herself from the tub with a splash at Iona that sent the housecarl laughing out of the room while she dressed. She'd chosen her favorite pair of black breeches and the matching boots. It had cost a small fortune for the dyes to turn a full outfit black, but the effect of having an ensemble that so starkly contrasted with the rest of her. _You look like a ghost,_ her brother used to tease her, tugging at the white locks of hair that had barely ghosted her shoulders at the time. _My ghost sister. Do ghosts still love people? Because I'll be sad if you don't love me anymore._ She smiled at the memory. The fear she'd had after her accident that her brother wouldn't recognize her or wouldn't care for her anymore had disappeared immediately.

Her smile lingered as she pulled on the pants and pulled on the rest of the outfit Iona had chosen. The tunic was shorter than most women were comfortable with, and lifted higher in the front in such a way that she could more easily access the knives she strapped to her hips. The fabric was a beautifully deep red, and she belted her purse and another knife to her waist. It was a careful dare she liked to challenge her guildmates with; a full purse in plain view, attached to her belt with a simple leather cord. So far, no one had managed to claim any of the spoils.

A black vest completed the outfit and she finished off her tray of food, returning it to the kitchen upstairs with a flourish to prove to Iona she'd eaten before she traipsed out the door with a wave. Opting to avoid the market, she hopped the fence behind Bolli's house and made her way around the mostly empty edge of the city to the graveyard and, after checking to see that she wasn't followed, ducked under the crypt and slid down the ladder into the Cistern.

A chorus of calls greeted her and she waved nonchalantly to the various guild members scattered about the Cistern. Niruin merely nodded from his little archery range, and Mercer pointedly ignored her. Seeing no need to engage in that confrontation just yet, she ducked instead through the passage to the Flagon and dropped herself into the chair across from Delvin.

"Ah, so you're finally back. Good news?"

"Do I ever bring you any other kind?" She grinned at the dour man. "Ledger is taken care of. And the shill was taken care of too, you're welcome Vex!" she called across the room. Vex just flipped her off and went back to glaring at her papers. Kai leaned back, accepting a mug of mead from Vekell as he passed by. "Maven's business is taken care of and so is Olfrid's. Whiterun is open for business."

"Well now, that is quite a bit of good news. And how has our lovely guildmaster reacted to this wonderful news?"

Kai snorted into her mug. "You know I always come to you first."

Delvin eyed her warily. "Maybe this time should have been the exception. He's been on a tear since he got your letter, and with you missing him yesterday after finishing your private job for Maven, he's worried you might be having certain . . . aspirations, regarding the leadership of the guild." He gave her a heavy look. "Now I'm not one to give advice, but if I were you, I'd make certain an apology is the first thing he heard from me. Mercer's a hell of a guildmaster, but he's not known to be the forgiving type, and you're not exactly his favorite person on a good day."

"I'm his least favorite person every day, you mean." She glared into her mug, one arm crossing her chest to hide the tremor of anger she felt. That man had hated her since the day Brynjolf had dragged her down here, and despite everything she'd done and continued to do for the guild, refused to budge the stick up his ass where she was concerned. "You of all people know how little I care for leadership positions."

"Oh, I am aware, my lady." Her kick to his shin under the table was met with a gruff chuckle. "Don't get your britches twisted, I ain't told a soul and I have no intention to. You've done more than anyone else in this place for the guild, and while I don't think Mercer is willing to risk your usefulness, he also isn't above making your life hell in every way he can."

Marcurio's words echoed in her head again. "How did someone so unpleasant as him get to be guildmaster anyway?" she asked carefully.

"He fought off the woman who killed the last guildmaster."

Kai looked up in surprise. "The last guildmaster was murdered?"

"Aye. By a member of the guild. Mercer witnessed it, fought her off, and managed to return on his own in time to defend the guild from her. Nasty business, that."

Huh. Strange that no one had mentioned that before. Seemed an odd thing for such a bitter man to do, but she obviously hadn't been there. It did demonstrate a loyalty to the guild that must be hard to shake . . .

She threw back the last of her mead and dropped her mug onto the table. "Best get this over with, then. I'll see you round, Delvin."

"Likewise, Kaiana."

A quick wave to Tonilia and she was back in the Cistern, fully intent on marching straight across to Mercer's desk and having it out with him. The sight that greeted her was anything but what she expected.

Bryn, Mercer, and Sapphire stood in the center of the room, Bryn and Sapphire restraining someone between them with their backs to Kai. Mercer was towering over the person, fist clenched around a piece of paper that he shook in their face. A broken slate and some scattered chalk dusted the floor around them, and Kai frowned slightly as she realized Mercer's demands were being met with silence as the person tried to reach for the slate.

Mercer was the first to notice her approach. "You!" he spat. "You're the one that led her here!"

She met his accusation with a flat look. "You think I wouldn't notice someone watching when I went down the crypt?" she asked, ice dripping from her words. "That's a fairly serious accusation to lay with no evidence, Mercer."

"I don't need evidence!" he snarled. "You were the only one who's come down the crypt since this woman showed up in town; everyone else has come through the Flagon. So you tell me why she's here before I cut _both_ of your throats."

Kai looked over at the woman held between Brynjolf and Sapphire and nearly lost her composure in shock to recognize the woman from the other night, the golden eyed woman who'd been with Marcurio. She clamped down on any expression of recognition, however; if Mercer had the slightest inkling that she recognized her, he would absolutely make good on his threat. There was something about this woman, something strange and entrancing that Kai wanted desperately to understand. She returned Mercer's glare. "You already know more than me if you know how long she's been in town. I've never seen her before in my life. If you ask me, Mercer, I'd say you need to stop raging about and start asking sensible questions."

"Like _what?"_

"Like why you're demanding answers from a woman who can't speak." Kai nudged the broken slate with her foot, her memory of the woman's gesticulations suddenly making far more sense. "Funny how difficult it is to get answers when you remove her ability to communicate. Any chance her being her has something to do with that letter you're holding onto so tightly?"

Mercer's anger was practically feral. "My private business is of no concern here. Who is this woman and how did she manage to hide herself from our so-called best thief?" he screamed.

Kai was taken aback at his unravelling. Mercer was vitriolic on a good day, but never had she seen him lose even a modicum of his restraint. It was entirely gone now; whatever was on that piece of paper had shaken the man so badly as to lose his composure in front of not only her, but the entire guild. She exchanged a wide-eyed look with Bryn, and was even more disturbed when he was as bewildered as she was. Whatever this was, something was far from right here. Her eyes fell to the woman, who was intently staring at her. As their eyes met she began to slowly mouth words, though no sound emerged. It took Kai a moment to realize she was mouthing the same message she'd sent with Marcurio.

_The Guildmaster is the greatest threat to the guild._

Mercer saw the words on the woman's lips and reacted without hesitation, one arm lashing out and backhanding her across the face so hard she was nearly thrown out of Bryn and Sapphire's hands and Kai reacted without thinking, a dull roar sounding in her ears as she ripped Mercer backwards and put herself between the two, so close to Mercer's face that their noses nearly touched, only dimly aware of Bryn trying to pull her back and Sapphire and her captive staring at her, eyes wide with shock. It wasn't until she felt the warm liquid dripping from her hand that clarity returned to her, and she let Bryn tug her back, letting her knife slide from her fingers as Mercer collapsed to the ground with her blade still embedded in his chest.


End file.
